Charlotte Tea Party Headquarters

Who:  Charlotte-area Tea Partiers!

What:  First Annual Charlotte Independence Day Tea Party

When:  July 4th from 11am-3pm

Where:  Marshall Park

Why:  To celebrate the independence of America in a family-friendly atmosphere; to become educated on the issues facing our nation and community; to learn how to become involved; to CELEBRATE!

Musicians booked so far: 

Out of the Blue, the house band at Coyote Joe's:  Country/Southern Rock

Leisure McCorkle www.leisuremccorkle.com:  The King of Power Pop!

Ceslo- Top 40, CD releasing soon!

Sweetbriar Jam www.sweetbriarjam.com:  Bluegrass

I recently joined this site.  I had heard that there was a Charlotte Tea Party on July 4 but was surprised when I went here and did not see it:

http://teapartypatriots.org

Just thought perhaps it might drive more attendance to spread the word if we could have it added to that site?

Thanks for the head's up, Lori!  We're now on TPP!

Speakers:

Dr. Tim Johnson, NC GOP Vice Chair

Lenny McAllister, Political commentator and Fox News Rising star

Dallas Woodhouse, Americans for Prosperity

Becki Gray, John Locke Foundation

Joseph Kejr, FairTax

Friends,

It is my opinion that we should consolidate the small town tea parties into the largest one we can find.  A small town with 200 people participating is not as effective as a 25,000 participant party.

If you know of a small town party,  please encourage the organizer to consolidate with Charlotte - Marshall Park or with Columbia, SC.   Sure it will mean a drive and inconvenience to you and me and our families...but our goal is to communicate a message to DC not to be able to say,  "I was involved."  

We need to sacrifice now to communicate this message, so that we don't ever get to the point where we have to "... mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. "

WE MUST STOP THIS SOCIALISTIC NONSENSE>>>>>PLEASE JOIN PEACEFUL PETITION OF OUR GOVERNMENT RIGHT AWAY....DO NOT STAND ON THE SIDELINES TO SEE IF THINGS GET AS BAD AS THEY WILL!!!

I am new to the Tea Parties, so please forgive me if I ask some silly questions.... 

I would assume that someone is contacting the News Media for coverage of the Tea Party???   Anyone sending out a press release?  A press release may help control the message so the media gets it correct.

Are we supposed to make signs for July 4?  This will give TV media a visual for the news.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

Is there any way to make sure there is not media coverage of the most radical of the attendees?  In other words, has it ever been suggested to members that it would be helpful if we would all be civil, patriotic, and professional - - - as opposed to the media finding the craziest radical in the group and making all of us looking like "wild  madmen" ?   I have never been to a tea party before, so perhaps this is not an issue.    (But where I am coming from is that I have noticed that coverage of gay rights, for example, could show peaceful activists marching OR focus on a radical, badly behaved minority section of the group - depending upon the bias of the media.  I am not gay, it is just an example I have noticed in media.)    And we know the media is not biased in our conservative direction, so they are likely to look for the worst examples of patriots they can find!

I agree with JediPatriot - numbers do make a difference.  Is there anything that ALL of the Tea Party patriots are doing together IN  WASHINGTON DC on a certain date???  We need huge numbers in DC on one date.

Lisa,  welcome to the tea party revolution! 

Some answers for you:

1.  Press releases have been sent, and more will go out this week.  We have good relations with the press, so hopefully we will get some coverage.  Also, we have 25 ads running during drive time on two different radio stations this week.

2.  Signs are certainly welcome!   Whatever issue irritates you the most, make a sign about it!  There are sign ideas listed in the Forum under "Signs and Banners".

3.  No, there is no way to make sure the media only interviews those people whom we choose.  Everyone is encouraged to remember that they not only represent themselves, but they also represent the tea party movement.  However, we cannot pick who gets interviewed or who gets on camera.

4.  There is a march on DC on Sept 12.  If you go to the Forum and look under "March on DC" you will find some information there.

See you on the fourth!

Matthew Ridenhour

I would like to bring copies of the Cap and Tax flyer that I made (http://www.vote-nc.com/opinion/Betrayal-CapAndTrade.pdf) to the tea party on Saturday.  Any suggestions on how many copies to make?

PARKING

There is open-lot parking at  the CMS administration building (opposite the pond from the courthouse) and the Robert L. "Bob"  Walton Plaza on Stonewall (one more block away). Both are municipal buildings which should be vacated during the weekends.

The Robert L. "Bob"  Walton Plaza is a seven storywhite brick building with tinted windows whose building, along with it's parking lot, occupies the entire corner block bordered by Stonewall and McDowell Streets.

I bet a dollar that the CMS lot (I drove by yesterday) is empty Saturday but they put up a barricade to keep us out of parking there! The city and its cronies hate what we are trying to do... Expose lies and corruption. Stop the waste. They can't stand their little fiefdom being invaded by us "radicals". 

Lori, it's hard to say how many to bring.  1,000? 2,000?  If you make too many, people can always take extras and pass them out in their neighborhoods!

Hopefully the CMS lot will be open, and we have also made arrangements to use 1st Baptist Church's parking lot.  They are one block north of the park.

Need some advice on replies to attending the parties-

How do you respond to someone who says "It doesn't do any good"; "Someone is making money off this"?

So has the thing with off duty cops as security been worked out ?

Lisa wrote...OR focus on a radical, badly behaved minority section of the group - depending upon the bias of the media...

Just to put you at ease Lisa and others. I've been to different events in 30 years and the group on April 15th was THE MOST cordial, mature, responsible and friendly I've seen in a long time. These are families and NOBODY was acting inappropriately at all.

And yes, the media will be biased anyway because they are a bunch of losers.  I know because I have dealt with many who are supplied items like a phone, address and info in writing, and somehow they still manage to leave out details from stories or get everything completely wrong. It is like they are on drugs or something.

See you there! Look for the crazy radicals...

-- If you won't fight for others, at least fight for yourselves and your family! — RichardThePirate